Have Your Say on the Tech Sector
If you are involved in a technology or digital business, there are a couple of opportunities to get involved in discussing and forging the future of the sector in the North East this month — I urge you to get involved.
Digital Union Manifesto
Wednesday 31st January — Northern Design Centre
Having seen the Bristol Digital Manifesto a couple of years ago during a Common Purpose event down there, I found it inspiring and it struck me as a great idea for the North East. An opportunity to come together as a sector and talk to the wider world about our hopes, fears, requirements and commitments to help grow and foster an already thriving regional movement — it seemed like a no-brainer. I was therefore really excited when the proposal came up from the Digital Union leadership in one of our Advisory Board meetings to create a Manifesto for the Digital sector in our region.
Having volunteered to get involved in developing the idea, I attended a meeting in Newcastle and the group agreed that the ideal starting point would be a meeting of minds, an open space, that would allow those with an interest to get involved and be heard. The event is now a reality thanks to the hard work of the team at Digital Union and will take place on the 31st January. I urge anyone in the sector with a few hours to attend and ensure we get as wide a representation as possible. While the political powers untangle what the future has in store for the public sector, its up the businesses and organisations in the region to come together and work out what we want, how we can achieve it and pave the way to the next level of success.
As part of our commitment to members and the Creative, Digital and Tech sector in the North East, Digital Union will release our first Manifesto in April 2018. In order to establish what our members wish us to work towards, campaign for and assist them with, we are running this open space event.
Find out more, see the agenda and I hope you will register and join us.
Tech Nation 2018
If you are involved in tech from anywhere in the UK, this is relevant to you. However I’m particularly shouting out to any North East tech and digital businesses to spend just a short time filling out this year’s Tech Nation 2018 survey. The survey has provided some useful insight over the years and helps provide localised pictures in the National context. In order for an area to be recognised, its required to reach a certain number of respondents so if you are from Newcastle, Sunderland, North or South Tyneside, Northumberland, Durham, Teeside or anywhere else in our region, please do fill in the survey so we get as wide a regional representation as possible. It really doesn’t take long and could help to forge political priorities and provide critical insight into our sector.
Your responses will be included in Tech City UK’s flagship Tech Nation report 2018, which will comprehensively map the state of the digital tech sector in the UK. This report will be available to all, so you will be able to see where your answers fit within the wider tech community.
Please do fill out the survey — it takes just a couple of minutes.
